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Georgia DOT Teams Up With Lego to Inspire Young Engineers

For the duration of the actual reconstruction project, guests can contribute to a large-scale bridge outside of the center's Model Builder Academy.

Fri April 28, 2017 - National Edition
Becca J. G. Godwin - Access Atlanta


The Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Transportation collaboration aims to “help inspire the minds of young engineers-to-be and shed a positive, creative light on the high-profile reconstruction of I-85,” according to a news release.

For the duration of the actual reconstruction project, guests can contribute to a large-scale bridge outside of the center's Model Builder Academy. The unveiling of the final product — which will be three feet tall, four feet long and consist of 2,000 pieces — is to coincide with the reopening of the bridge this spring. No word on whether there will be an incentive for finishing the Lego bridge early like the $3.1 million for the real thing.

The bridge has been closed since one of the main highways into the city went up in flames March 30, causing the northbound lanes near Piedmont Road to collapse and irreparably damaging the southbound lanes. The project is expected to be completed by June 15.

Scott Higley, director of strategic communications for the Georgia Department of Transportation, said the goal is to teach families about the “building process in a way that's fun and easy to understand.”

“The entire community is very interested in and focused on the I-85 bridge reconstruction,” Higley said in a statement.

Guests can also attend workshops that will challenge them to create mini-bridge models, test their work with weighted Lego cars and rebuild designs as necessary. At the end, Legoland's master model builder Rod Farris aka “Professor Rod” will discuss which building techniques were most successful.

The daily “Bridge & Test” classes start Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They last around 30 minutes and are free with the price of admission.

For more information, visit http://url.ie/11r9a




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